Always in Trouble by Corinne Demas; illustrated by Noah Z. Jones

Toby is a very naughty dog. He digs in the garbage, he runs into the road, and he eats baked goods. Toby's family has had enough and Toby is sent to dog training school. Toby becomes the star of the class and responds to every command. But he is still naughty. He pees on the rug, he messes up the laundry and he digs in the garden. The family decides to send him back to school. A week later Toby is nearly perfect. He takes out the garbage, folds the laundry and bakes his own treats. I think the question I have and all the children reading the story will have is, what happened during the week Toby was away? The author doesn't tell us, and I think that's the real story here. Too bad it's missing.

Funny Farm by Mark Teague

Edward is a city dog who likes to visit his relatives on the farm. Edward is shown how to do the daily chores, and occasionally he likes to help. The story is scant, but as usual, Teague's illustrations are superb. A quick read that children will enjoy because of the detail given to the animals and antics on each page.